Blog

by Flora MacGreevy - September 07, 2026

We are heading into the final stretch of the year and Q4 is always an interesting time for EAs (chaos), but it’s also when high performers stand out. Discover what “three steps ahead” really means and how to spot genuine excellence.

by Claire Gray - September 07, 2026

September is often described as a “surge” month for recruitment, but does the September surge still hold up in a more cautious UK job market?

by Claire Gray - August 10, 2026

Personal assistants and office managers are both valuable support hires, but they are not the same role. For hiring managers, understanding the difference matters because each one solves a different business problem.

by Claire Gray - August 10, 2026

Many of the best operations managers start in business support. If you have experience as a PA, EA, office manager, or operations assistant, you may already have more of the right skills than you think.

by Claire Gray - August 06, 2026

Emotional intelligence is one of the most valuable workplace skills, especially in PA, EA, office manager, and business support roles. The good news is that it is not fixed; with the right habits, you can strengthen it over time.

by Claire Gray - August 06, 2026

Sending the same CV to every job is one of the most common mistakes candidates make. It may feel efficient, but recruiters can usually spot a generic application immediately. The good news is that tailoring your CV does not mean rewriting everything.

by Claire Gray - July 30, 2026

AI personal assistants are already changing how senior professionals work, but they are not replacing human assistants any time soon. For hiring managers and business leaders, the real question is how these tools can be used today, what they may be capable of tomorrow, and why the human element still matters.

by Claire Gray - July 23, 2026

As we move through the summer months, the UK recruitment market continues to tell a story of cautious optimism. While many businesses remain mindful of economic uncertainty, hiring has by no means ground to a halt.

by Emily Verschoyle - July 16, 2026

For many professionals, summer is synonymous with switching on an out-of-office and switching off from work. But for those considering their next career move, it can also be one of the most strategic times of the year to pause, reflect and plan ahead.

by Ellie Grindle - July 14, 2026

Summer can bring a different pace to the workplace. For assistants, the challenge is to stay proactive when the usual pace of work changes. The best PAs understand that slower periods still matter, because the quality of support they provide during this time has a direct impact on how smoothly the wider business runs.

by Alice Stevenson - July 09, 2026

When July arrives, many London businesses enter the same familiar cycle: annual leave starts to peak, inboxes slow down, and the pressure to keep everything moving shifts onto the people who remain in the office. For office managers, EAs, HR teams and chiefs of staff, that is exactly when temporary support becomes most valuable.

by Emily Bain - July 02, 2026

Pacific Asset Management (PAM) is a fresh and progressive asset manager, rethinking the conventions of how asset management works for advisers, institutions, investors, asset owners and the industry. They are responsible for USD 24 billion of assets for their clients. Please join us as our co-founder Emily Bain interviews Matthew Lamb from their newest offices in central London.

by Jessie Hignell - June 30, 2026

The graduate job market is currently experiencing what many describe as a “perfect storm”. But, at Bain and Gray, we continue to see first-hand how powerful graduate talent can be when given the right platform. Far from being “entry-level support”, graduates today are often the future builders of teams, systems and culture.

by Tray Durrant - June 18, 2026

After nearly three decades in recruitment and career coaching, one thing is clear to our MD Tray: the people who stay relevant are not those who know the most today, but those who learn the fastest. This blog explores how the industry has evolved from faxed CVs to AI-enabled hiring, and why the real challenge now is less about technology itself and more about how we build capability for what comes next.

by Tara Polglase - June 18, 2026

What is company culture? For us, in part it is employee ownership. It is about more than a business structure, but creating a sense of shared responsibility, collaboration and pride, and it shapes the way we think about the day-to-day experience of working at Bain and Gray.

by Claire Gray - June 11, 2026

In this article, we explore what makes a good receptionist, the personal qualities that matter most and what to look for when hiring for a more premium or executive environment.

by Tray Durrant - June 04, 2026

For a long time, operational support functions were seen as purely administrative. Assistants, business support professionals, and operations teams were there to organise, coordinate, and keep things running smoothly in the background. That view is starting to feel outdated and Tray Durrant explores why.

by Claire Gray - May 28, 2026

The role of an Executive Assistant has evolved far beyond coordination. Today, it sits firmly at the centre of decision making in business, acting as both gatekeeper and enabler.